


Cinquefoil and Primrose

by Pogokitten



Series: Language of Flowers [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Canon Compliant, Chrom POV, Chrom may have some PTSD, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Family Fluff, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2020-05-13 23:01:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19260919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pogokitten/pseuds/Pogokitten
Summary: Robin plays pretend with the royal children, and accidentally scares his husband. Chrom also reminisces a lot. Pretty much pure fluff.(Set about 5 years post game)





	Cinquefoil and Primrose

Chrom was walking along one of the open hallways lining the vast palace gardens. He had a break between meetings and had been hoping to have lunch with Robin. Both of them were busy, less so than they had been a few years ago, but still enough that the exalt often had to make time to see his husband during the day. The two of them were still working hard to bring Ylisse back to its former glory after the turmoil of their younger days.  

It was a lovely day, spring was in full bloom and birdsong floated out from the trees. Robin generally preferred to stay inside, to protect the numerous scrolls and books he used for his meetings as Chrom’s chief advisor. But maybe the exalt could persuade the tactician to take a break in the gardens with him and enjoy the weather. It reminded him of a similar warm spring day, where the Shepherds had found a mysterious man laid out in an open field, bringing a soft smile to the exalt’s lips.

“The fell dragon Grima is attacking!” Lucina’s shrill yell suddenly rang out from somewhere within the lush gardens, shattering into his thoughts.

All at once Chrom tensed, hand going to Falchion at his side. Before he could even get his mind in order, adrenaline had his feet moving towards his daughter’s voice. No, it wasn’t possible… Grima was gone, Robin having made the ultimate sacrifice to make it so. He had paid the price too, for a little over two years he had been wiped from existence. So it couldn’t be. It just couldn’t, Naga had assured them. But that fearful cry of warning had Chrom charging through flower beds and shrubs, anxiety squeezing his chest.

He heard them before he saw them, it sounded like Lucina, Owain, and...Robin? But the tactician’s voice was wrong, several octaves deeper than it usually was. Still gripping his sword’s hilt, the exalt edged closer, catching more snippets of their voices. His daughter and nephew’s angry, and his husband’s icy and aloof. A cold trickle of anxiety was seeping into him now.

Finally, Chrom came to a break in the dense foliage of the royal gardens and spotted the three of them in a small clearing. The first thing that struck him was that Robin’s hood was up, hiding his eyes. Something his husband did rarely, only when the weather was bad. The two children were glaring at his husband, sticks in hand. Perhaps the only weapons they’d been able to find. Not that it would do any good against-

The tactician let out a dark laugh that sent a chill down Chrom’s spine reminding him of a dimly lit throne room in Plegia, and a sinister grin beneath a raised hood. And for a moment he was frozen as the memory threatened to overtake him. Haughty, dark laughter, he had never realized how intimidating that face twisted with hate could be, and the smell of ozone as the world shook with the roar of a god. Chrom did his best to push the scene away, he needed to focus.

“That’s right I am the fell dragon Grima, and I will take this castle as my own!” Robin declared in a low tone.

Lucina stepped forward. “Never! We won’t let you!”

“You would dare challenge me?” the hooded figure asked, contempt in his voice, a hand raised as if to call a spell.

“Destiny beckons us forward! You will meet your end here fell dragon!” Owain proclaimed, hand to his face as he struck a pose.

Robin laughed wickedly. “Foolish children of Naga, you will never defeat me!”  

With that, Lucina and Owain advanced, and Chrom partially unsheathed Falchion, about to break into the clearing. If Grima had returned there was no way he could defeat the dragon on his own, and he didn’t think he could…kill Robin. Even if the chance presented itself. Even if it meant their bleak future would be written once more. But maybe he could buy the children time to escape..!

“Morgan! Give these mortals a taste of our power!” the tactician commanded, before the exalt could move from his hiding place.

Chrom had not even noticed his younger daughter beside the cloaked man. His heart jumped into his throat, why was she with Grima? The exalt recalled a ruined world of ash and red skies, a young girl on the back of a wyvern, the stench of death all around them. Her expression almost blank at the destruction she ordered, Robin’s look of agony at what had happened to their child. What the Grima of that world made her do.

Chrom snapped back to the present as Morgan scurried forward, face as serious as a three year old’s could be, and in her hands was...a picture book? All at once the exalt’s thoughts ground to a halt. The sticks, the over dramatic exchanges, the lack of true menace in the air that had surrounded the fell dragon. Were they...playing pretend? The tension left Chrom’s limbs in a rush and he nearly collapsed. He managed to catch himself on a nearby tree and sheathed Falchion with shaky hands and a relieved sigh.

Morgan opened her book, and with a squeal of delight yelled, “Fwoosh!” while making wild hand gestures. Owain let out a yell and cringed back from the imaginary fire, Lucina following his lead.

“His mage is so powerful! She must be…descended from a great bloodline to rival our own!” his nephew shouted, still shielding himself against the pretend flames.

Robin spread his arms and let out another evil sounding chuckle. “Of course! There is no mage more powerful than she! Tremble at her vast powers, tiny ones!”

“What do we do?!” Lucina cried, trying her best to copy her cousin’s reactions, being the less creative of the two.  

With the perceived danger now gone, Chrom found himself calming down, watching the children play with Robin. This was a side of his husband he’d seen rarely with how hectic their lives had been, but it made his chest fill with warmth to watch their game. It was something neither of them had ever had as children.

“I know, I’ll use my special technique! My sword hand...is twitching! Binding Blade, go!” Owain yelled, spinning around and slashing his ‘sword’ through the imaginary blaze, blocking them from attacking Robin and Morgan.

“Look the fire is gone! You did it Owain!” his eldest cheered.

The two advanced closer, sticks held at the ready. Chrom could see the way they used the skills they were picking up in their combat lessons from the way they held their ‘weapons’, and chuckled to himself. It brought back memories of he, Sully, Ricken, and Lissa running through the courtyards playing knights and bandits.

Shrieking happily, despite her apparent loss, Morgan ran from her sister and cousin to Robin and clung to the back of his robe, picture book forgotten in the grass.

The tactician put a hand to his chest and gasped dramatically. “This cannot be! How did you defeat my mage so easily?!”

Owain smirked. “You underestimate the power of the Justice Cabal!”

“No matter, now you face me!” Robin said, then let out his best dragon roar and Chrom just about lost it, trying to contain the laughter that almost escaped him.

“We can stop you together!” Lucina said, sword at the ready.

“Let’s go Lucina! Dual Strike!” her cousin agreed, striking a theatrical pose.

Robin stumbled and grunted at the pretend blows the children rained down on him, sending back his own imaginary dragon breath attacks that the children dodged. Once or twice, Owain and Lucina flinched as if the dragon breath had hit them, but continued their assault, careful never to actually strike Robin. At last the tactician let out a frustrated growl and sagged at the pretend damage he had taken.

“Impossible..!” he choked out.

“Now end it!” Owain told Lucina.

“Right! Hope will never die!” his daughter yelled, stick held aloft as she delivered the final blow against the ‘dragon’.

And then Chrom saw a strong, young woman standing against the setting Plegian sun, her sword gleaming and raised against an army of risen. He blinked away the image and a sad smile came to his face.

“Argh! No...how could you have...defeated me?” Robin fell to his knees dramatically, and then flopped onto his back in the grass, hood falling away as he gasped out, “You...haven’t seen the last of me...Children of Naga!”

Then he laid still, with his tongue sticking out and eyes closed. His husband’s theatrical ‘death’ was too much for Chrom and he burst out laughing, drawing everyone’s attention to him. Seeing him, the children broke into smiles, and Robin lifted his head to look as well, his cheeks slightly red. No doubt embarrassed Chrom had witnessed his ridiculous performance.  

“Father! Owain and I defeated the fell dragon!” Lucina proclaimed proudly holding her stick up, while Owain struck another heroic pose behind her.

“Another solid win for the Exalted line it seems.” Robin managed to grin up at the exalt from his spot in the grass, the warm spring sun making his bronze skin glow, tussled white hair fanned out around his face.

For a moment the sight stole Chrom’s breath. Even after more than eight years of marriage, his husband could make him fall in love all over again. And then Robin wheezed as Morgan flopped onto his chest.

“Morgan-!” he grunted in surprise.

“Lost again! No fair!” she whined.

“Yes we did. Maybe you should be on your sister’s side next time, she and Owain are pretty good at this game. You can be the Justice Cabal’s tactician.”  

“No! _Abi_ team!” his youngest pouted, pulling on Robin’s robe.

“You’re as stubborn as your father.” he told her with a huff.  

“And just as silly as her _abi_.” Chrom scooped a giggling Morgan up from where she was draped across Robin’s chest.

His husband immediately let out a relieved sigh as the weight disappeared. Their daughter was not a baby anymore and although she still fit against his hip, soon she would be too big for such things as her sister was. The thought had him pulling Morgan closer, not ready for her to grow up yet. She looked up at him with Robin’s honey golden eyes, tan cheeks rosy, and midnight blue hair wild.

After pressing a kiss to her forehead, his daughter giggled then squirmed in his arms and the exalt put her down somewhat reluctantly. Unsurprisingly she quickly toddled over to retrieve her book. Morgan was just as obsessed with books as Robin was, and demanded to be read to at least five times a day. Their eldest on the other hand, loved to be outside moving. Combat practice, rough housing, riding horses, anything but sitting still, much like Chrom when he was her age.

As such, while Morgan plopped down in the grass to look through her book, Lucina had started a mock sword fight with Owain. Blue eyes bright, she grinned as they knocked their sticks together, mostly evenly matched, laughing breathlessly. Chrom was reminded again how grateful he was, looking at the scene before him. He had a beautiful family, and a peaceful land. All things he had worried would never be attainable in his youth when Plegia was first poking at their borders.

Shaking the thoughts from his head, the exalt then leaned over Robin, who was watching the kids from where he still laid in the grass, a tender smile on his face.

“Want some help?” Chrom asked.

“That would be appreciated, thank you.” the tactician said, lifting an arm.  

Chrom gripped his husband’s hand and hauled him to his feet, patting dirt and grass off the back of his cloak after he got his balance. Robin ran a hand through his pale hair, releasing even more soil. The exalt had to hold back a chuckle. He could just hear Frederick lecturing his husband now for his scruffy appearance, even as Chrom found it so endearing.

“There you three are!” a shrill voice startled them all, as Lucina and Morgan’s nursemaid bustled into the clearing looking slightly disgruntled.

Then she realized that the exalt and royal consort were standing right there and froze, clearly mortified.

“Oh! Your Highnesses! I had no idea-! I-I apologize for interrupting-!” the nanny tried to speak, face red as a beet.

“Ah, no, don’t worry about it. Our game just finished up.” Robin told her with an easy smile.

“I see… Yes, I just came to get the children for lunch time.” the woman said a bit more steadily, as she hesitantly met his gaze. Robin had always been good at putting people at ease.

“Last one there’s a rotten egg!” Owain cheered as he dropped his stick and started running towards the castle.

Lucina was on his tail, but she turned and waved at her parents. “Bye father! Bye _abi_!”

“Bye-bye!” Morgan bubbled as she chased after the other children.

“Children! Don’t run in the palace!” the nurse maid chided, giving Chrom and his husband a hasty bow before trying to catch up to her youthful charges.

The exalt barked out a laugh as he watched them race through the gardens, an amused smile on Robin’s face as well. Now alone in the gardens, Chrom took the tactician's hand and gave him a peck on the cheek. Flushing slightly, his husband leaned against him, and for a moment they both just enjoyed the sunshine and sounds of spring.  

“You gave me a bit of a fright there, Robin.” the exalt admitted, moving away slightly to see Robin’s face.

The tactician gave him a confused look.

“It was a bit ridiculous, but I thought, well, Grima…”

“Ah,” his husband blanched and started somberly, “I’m sorry, Chrom. I suppose I must have gotten a bit too into character there for you to think… I didn’t realize...”

The exalt looped an arm around Robin’s shoulders, pulling him close again. “It’s all right. At least I know for next time. I have to say, you’re a pretty good actor, maybe you should join Olivia’s theater.”

“As amusing as it might be, I do have a rather busy job. So I think I’ll pass.” Robin gave him a pointed look, and Chrom squeezed him playfully.

“Not so busy you can’t stop to play pretend apparently.”

The tactician scoffed and swatted him lightly. “Like you wouldn’t have done the same.”

“Probably,” the exalt agreed, “Why were you Grima anyway?”

“I suppose it’s my coat more than anything,” Robin mused glancing down at Grima’s eyes stitched into the sleeves, “Besides, Owain says that I’m the only one who can play the fell dragon. Something to do with my chaotic energy, apparently.”

Chrom laughed. “That sounds like Owain.”

None of the younger children really knew much about the time when the fell dragon had threatened the world. Chrom knew that when they were older, they needed to be told. About the wars, the future children, and how Robin had given up everything to protect them. Thankfully none of them had been old enough to really remember the tactician’s absence, but his husband still lamented that lost time with Lucina. Five years had passed since they had found Robin again in that same field, and thankfully peace still held.

“I enjoy the game, to be honest. I like spending time with the kids, and, well… I won’t lie that it makes me a bit nostalgic.” Robin said into the calm garden air, pulling the exalt from his thoughts.

“Nostalgic?”

“As strange as it may seem, yes. It reminds me of our time traveling with the Shepherds, and the future children...”   

Most of their children from the future had scattered to make lives for themselves, unable to return to their original world. Not that there was much left of it. They came back once in a while to visit their parents, but such trips were sparse and short. Chrom missed his older children desperately at times, but he understood why they had wanted to strike out on their own. He hoped that both his daughters were happy and safe, wherever they were. They deserved that much at least.

“If you miss it that much you could always go on a bandit hunt with the Shepherds.” Chrom offered.

He understood. After having spent so much of his youth traveling, sitting around in the castle was stifling most of the time. And Robin had also spent most of his life on the road with the Shepherds, at least what he remembered of it.

“No way. The kingdom would collapse. You’d be hopeless without me here to do all the paperwork.” Robin joked, to which Chrom pouted exaggeratedly, making the tactician laugh.

“What were you doing out here in the gardens anyway?” the tactician asked leaning up to kiss the frown off his face.

“Well, I was looking for you actually…I have a break right now, and, ah, wanted to see if you’d be free for lunch. Which, it at least seems like you are. So did you want-” Robin stopped Chrom’s awkward rambling with a soft finger against the exalt’s lips.

“I’d love to.” Robin said, his smile as soft and warm as the spring day.

**Author's Note:**

> Oh boy did this one come out of nowhere. I was writing a different one-shot, but I got an idea and wrote this in a possessed frenzy (as I do with most of my stuff). 
> 
> "abi" is arabic for father, which is what I like to use for Plegia's proxy language. I feel like even though Robin's memories are gone they still retain their native language like they do their tactical knowhow. And they teach their children.
> 
> Before anyone asks the kids are magic. See Miriel and Henry's A support for more details. Or you can interpret trans Robin, that's also valid.
> 
> Anyway, I hope that pure fluff was good. The next one will be FRobin probs. Please let me know what you thought, and any ideas you guys would like to see in this type of one off style. I might use some of them lol.


End file.
